How can you use historical fashion trends to inspire your next costume design?

to put an original take on any time period's trend or historical experience I isolate it from its own past and deny my knowledge of it's known future. In others words I give it the evolutionary opportunity of blissful ignorance. No easy task to forget(temporarily) everything you know after it's moment in time. But, for me there is absolutely no other way to manifest a 100% original version of anything that was already an original in its own time historically than to ignore your awareness of its future incarnations.

The Viceroyalty, a significant colonial administrative division in the Americas during the Spanish colonial period, did experience the influence of the Renaissance. The Spanish colonization of the Americas, which began in the early 16th century, coincided with the later stages of the Renaissance. While its influence was mediated through the lens of Spanish colonial rule, The Native Americans presented their own versions of art, both in textiles and paintings, which bear a strong influence from the Italian Renaissance. This is not only evident in the clothing of the time but also in the paintings that we currently see adorning the murals of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico and the magnificent works of the Cuzco School in Peru.

The Roaring Twenties in the Americas signified the exploration of crochet techniques and the use of lesser-known fibers at that time, such as alpaca and vicuña. The American contribution came through the utilization of these indigenous fibers, incorporating distinctive details inspired by the flora and fauna of Hispanic America. Notably, the use of leather held a special preference in regions ranging from California to Texas, Puebla in Mexico, or from Lima to Mar del Plata in Argentina. Furthermore, a significant Native American contribution lies in the use of natural colors, including the use of cochineal to recreate red and drawing from Mayan techniques, resulting in a vibrant rainbow of hues.

The Punk Rock era had a profound impact on Hispanic American youth. It went beyond the prevalent use of dark hair to include a distinctive fashion trend characterized by the widespread adoption of black clothing, with denim also adapting to dark dye, giving rise to frayed materials that gained immense popularity. This trend extended into the 1980s, marked by leather accessories and metallic elements in silver or burnished bronze, adorned with colored stones. Notably, these fashion elements not only fascinated but also inspired distinctive creations among Native Americans.

The future of fashion extends beyond 3D impressions to embrace organic materials and adaptable, temperature-sensitive fibers. This evolution includes integrating electronic elements into everyday accessories like watches, glasses, and phones, transforming them into interactive and highly advanced entities. Fashion is a canvas of creative possibilities, influenced by emerging technologies, environmental concerns, and societal shifts. Envision smart fabrics dynamically changing color, shape, or function, alongside 3D-printed or recycled materials creating sustainable designs. Holographic or augmented reality accessories add visual effects and interactivity to outfits. Use these elements to reflect the innovation in costume design.

I think is always helpful to take inspiration from the past but there are two ways you can use to express it: 1. You design a line where you take the old looks of the past and reshape them from a different light to align them more with today's values like @Paco Rabanne in his FW 2020 collection. 2. You can design a modern line that incorporates some features of the past. However, I think in this case rather than a period of time you are taking inspiration from what each singular feature represents. It's like if that singular detail was there to make a statement just like @Chanel and @Ralph Lauren took inspiration from male suits to create the most empowering and iconic suits for women that the world of fashion has ever seen.

If we look to the past and carefully explore the elements provided by ancient cultures, harmonizing those from various regions, we find ample inspiration to face what lies ahead in the future.

Meditate on the term “AI” for five minutes. What visuals did you come up with? Put those into words. Go to Pinterest. Wearable tech is the future. Let’s make it fashionable.

The ten common principles of art are Balance, Emphasis, Harmony, Movement, Pattern, Proportion, Repetition, Rhythm, Unity, and Variety.